Helping prison-leavers move into homes as they create new beginnings for themselves, and their families.

We first met 'Josh' as he was preparing to be released from prison. Without a home to return to, Josh was stressed about where he was going to live.

Sadly, Josh's parents and two siblings are deceased. While incarcerated, Josh learned that a cousin and several close friends had died as well, leaving him with few supportive relationships in the community. Fortunately for Josh, he was eligible to participate in Arc, and he was introduced to Riti, one of our Arc Case Managers. 

Before long, Josh opened up to Riti, sharing his history of mental illness, including untreated depression and anxiety. Together, Riti and Josh put a plan together that would support Josh's return to the community with a home to go to and mental health support. 

Through Arc's partnerships with community housing providers, Riti confirmed with Josh that yes, a furnished home would be waiting for him. Riti then focused his attention on finding a local GP that he could connect Josh with once he was home.

On the day Josh left prison, Riti was there waiting for him. Arriving at his new home, Josh was overjoyed with this opportunity! The stress he had experienced about where he would live was subsiding. Shortly after settling in, Josh met with his new GP who in turn referred him to a local psychologist to help attend to his mental health. To help Josh get on his feet, he and Riti continue to meet once or twice a week, as well.

In the five months since Josh has been home, he's experienced a few ups and downs. He briefly disengaged from the support of his case manager. However, Riti didn't give up on Josh, he continued to reach out and at one point, requested a welfare check by the police. Fortunately, Josh was safe at home.

Josh had withdrawn from Riti because he felt guilty about having engaged in substance use. In speaking with Riti, Josh expressed shame for his recent behaviour, and his desire to establish a new identity, a new narrative for his life that is free of substance use.

With a willingness to re-engage Riti's support, Josh has also returned to counselling. Through this process, Josh has acknowledged struggling with feelings of guilt and regret, believing his absence through incarceration deprived him of meaningful relationships and closure with his family and friends who have passed. 

For Josh, having a safe, home environment along with Riti's ongoing support helps to ground him as he faces the challenges he experiences. As well as reflecting on his journey so far, Josh looks ahead to a future that is not defined by his past, but by his ability to create his new beginning.

We know we are helping to make profound changes in the lives of our participants and their families, and this gives us great hope for the future of our communities. 

We are committed to supporting people on their journey from custody to community and we stand by our mission to create new beginnings and stronger communities. Ultimately, the level of support we give depends on our generous donors.

If you are able to contribute to our employment work, please chip in. Every little bit helps. All donations more than $2 are tax deductible and make a real difference to people leaving prison, along with their families, and all our communities. 

Vacro is a proudly independent, non-denominational and not-for-profit organisation with more than 150 years of experience in the Victorian community. Our staff live in the communities where they work. We know that the people we support want to contribute to society. They want to strengthen bonds with their families. They want to be their best selves. But it’s hard to do this alone.

Your donation enables us to give more people and families practical and personal support during what can be the hardest and loneliest time in a person’s life. With your support, we can be there. Together, we can change lives.

See the impact of our work.

If you believe in new beginnings and stand for strong communities, you believe in Vacro’s work. Chip in with a tax-deductible donation to support us today.

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Vacro is endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) from 01 Jul 2000. It is covered by Item 1 of the table in section 30-15 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.